“We didn’t tell her that we got to the airport okay, and that our flight is leaving on time.”
“So, she’s worried sick.”
Amy leaned closer and asked, “Why would she be so worried. Isn’t she here already?”
Mack said, “Yes, she arrived two days ago. Apparently, she thought it was important to arrive ahead of time to make sure all of the arrangements were set.”
Amy nodded knowingly. “Since you left here last time without getting married.”
Skye pushed her knuckles into her back. “But that was because you two weren’t really engaged last time.”
Mack’s phone stopped ringing, but she didn’t pay attention. Her entire focus was on Kayla. Kayla could feel the weight of her love like a blanket on a cold day. She entwined her fingers with Mack’s and steeled herself. “Mom isn’t super happy with me for that.”
Skye asked, “Which part? The lying to me part or the lying to her part?”
Kayla couldn’t keep eye contact with anyone, but this conversation was far easier than the one she’d had with her mom the year before. “Mostly the treating Mack like shit part.”
Mack pulled her close and pressed a kiss against the top of her head, but she’d learned not to argue too much. She used to insist she understood, but Kayla was working on taking full responsibility for her actions. It wasn’t Mack’s job to lessen the blow.
Kayla said, “I went to tell her in person about the fake engagement as soon as we got back last year.”
“How’d that go over?” Amy asked in a quiet voice.
Kayla pushed back the tears the memories always caused. “She barely spoke to me for a few months.”
It was such a bland thing to say to describe such a difficult period in Kayla’s life. The way her mother had cried when she explained. The hurt and anger. It was actually really impressive that her mom hadn’t screamed at her. Instead, she had very calmly told Kayla that her actions had been cruel and selfish. She’d said she’d never thought Kayla could do anything to disappoint her, but that she had. For a while Kayla had worried things would never be the same again, but they’d had a lot of good conversations since and things were on the mend.
Skye melted entirely and even had tears in her eyes. “Oh shit, Kayla. I’m sorry for joking. That must’ve been really hard.”
“Nothing I didn’t deserve.” Kayla shook the bad memories off and forced a smile. “But we’re okay now.”
Amy still looked a little concerned and Kayla couldn’t quite tell if she was worried about Kayla or about her wife bursting into pregnancy hormone-induced tears. “Then what’s she so worried about this time?”
Mack’s phone started to ring again, but she didn’t answer it right away. Instead, she told Amy, “She just wanted to be here early to make sure nothing went wrong this time.”
Skye looked skeptical. “What could go wrong?”
Mack shot Kayla a nervous look, then seemed to realize she had an escape route. “I’d better talk to her. Be right back.” Sheanswered the phone as she walked away. “Hi, Mom. I know. I’m sorry.”
Her voice faded out as she walked away. Kayla watched her go, but it was less about watching her impressive butt and more about avoiding Skye’s penetrating glare.
But it didn’t last forever. Skye’s voice held a note of annoyance when she said, “Kayla. What aren’t you saying?”
Kayla turned around to see two sets of eyes boring into her. She’d thought she might at least have Amy on her side, but it might’ve been a tactical error to let Mack get away. As much as Amy liked her, she was far more partial to Mack. “It’s not that bad.”
Amy smiled sweetly. “Then it won’t be a problem to tell us.”
Skye and Amy just waited, and it was remarkable how Skye had gained so many of Amy’s quiet intimidation skills over the last year. Kayla used to think she knew her so well, but the more she examined it, the more she realized she had attached a lot of importance to the way Skye reacted to her, rather than who she was as a person. It took finding the same kind of safety in love that she had with Mack to recognize that in Skye.
Skye said, “Quit stalling. Just tell us what she thinks so we can decide if we’re mad at you or not.”
Amy said, “For the record, I probably won’t be mad at you, but I suspect I won’t have nearly as much reason as Skye does.”
Skye turned on her wife. “What do you know?”
“Nothing, honey, but I suspect quite a lot.”
Kayla winced, but fortunately, at that moment Mack returned. She put a hand on the small of Kayla’s back, and the supportive gesture gave her the strength to admit the rest. “I may have told her about the part where I asked you to marry me instead.”
